I Won't Let You Fall
by Spyder Webb
Summary: Malik + Ryou (of course). Malik finds Ryou sitting alone contemplating a lot of things.


This was a forced-inspiration fic - which isn't usually good at all when I write it, but people on my favourite ML liked it (okay, so maybe two or three liked it --;;;) and of course I always post here too.  
  
Makky Muse's Words of Advice:  
  
When trying to commit suicide, tis best not to jump off the side of a smooth pyramid.  
  
- - -  
  
I Won't Let You Fall  
  
- - -  
  
Ryou Bakura sighed relaxingly as he leaned back on his viewpoint of the city. It was a warm night and the moon had just risen to the peak of its journey. The light cast from the giant sphere lit the small city of Domino, bathing it in a serene glow. Pale lips formed upward into a soft smile and Ryou studied the buildings noticing for the first time how peaceful the night was.  
  
"Ry?" A voice broke through his thoughts and he jumped, startled slightly, moving closer to the edge. He looked back, directly into frightened lavender eyes. "Ry. . ." Malik Ishtar spoke slowly, his words soft as if he were coaxing a frightened animal, and in a way he figured he was. "Ryou, what are you doing up here?" He asked, motioning to the ledge of the tall building they were both currently upon.  
  
Ryou stared out over the city; "I could ask you the same thing."  
  
Malik shook his head, slowly edging closer to his friend. He stopped however when Ryou shot him a pointed look. "I'm here because of you. Now why are you here?"  
  
Ryou was silent for a few moments, then he spoke, his voice almost a whisper. "How long do you think it would take for a body to hit the ground? Do you think a person would die on impact or would they still be alive and suffer for a few moments before death finally took pity on them?"  
  
"Ry. . ." Malik's voice squeaked in surprise as his eyes widened considerably. He looked at the miserable state of his friend and sighing sadly to himself before he moved toward him. Upon seeing Ryou glare suspiciously at him, Malik held out his hands in defense and then slowly slipped into place beside Ryou, dangling his lean legs over the building's edge. "What happened?" He asked after a moment of silence.  
  
"Nothing." Ryou muttered softly and continued to stare out into the city.  
  
"Bull." Malik snapped, causing Ryou to look at him, but Malik stared out at the building across from them, watching the business people at work. "Nobody who's deathly afraid of heights comes out and sits on a twenty story building to consider how fast a body falls from that height for nothing." He finally turned to look at his best friend, "Now tell me Ryou, please." He whispered the last word.  
  
At this Ryou's eyes welled with tears and he forced himself to look away from the other boy. He sniffled to himself before finally opening his mouth to speak. "My father called. . .he's not coming home for my birthday again." He mumbled, "I overheard the others talking about how I cry at almost everything at school today and Bakura told me I was a pest when I got home and asked how his day was. I just. . .I don't know." The young boy shook his head. "Nobody wants me around anyway, what's the point in being here?"  
  
Malik watched the boy as Ryou wiped his eyes. He was silent, thinking over his next words, not wanting them to sound wrong and hurt the sensitive boy any further. "Babe, I read a quote once out of one of Isis' books and it was something like. . .I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." Malik explained as he wrapped a friendly arm around Ryou's shoulders. Ryou relaxed, having always been comfortable around the Egyptian, and he couldn't help but feel a little better. "Besides, I like your tears." Malik shrugged, smiling as Ryou looked at him sharply.  
  
"You like seeing me in pain?" Ryou raised an eyebrow, demanding an explanation.  
  
Malik chuckled lightly, "Of course I don't like seeing you in pain. It hurts me when you're in pain." He shrugged, "What I meant was, when you cry, it shows that you know emotion, that you feel things and you don't care if people know." He furrowed his brows, knowing that his words were hard to understand, "When I was living back in Egypt and my father was still alive, I wasn't allowed to cry. If I did, even after the Tomb Keepers Initiation, he'd punish me. Crying wasn't considered manly I guess, and he didn't want his only son to turn out to be a sissy." Malik shrugged, then cackled with good humour, "Little does he know."  
  
Ryou snorted, "Being gay doesn't make you a sissy Malik." He rolled his eyes.  
  
"Ha!" Malik countered, "Shows what you know! Try explaining that to Marik! He still thinks that what he feels for Kaiba is still friendship. Ra, when will my yami get a clue?" Malik sighed.  
  
Ryou tried to hold it in, he was supposed to be feeling suicidal and angsting, but Malik always made him feel better, and he couldn't help the giggle that escaped his lips. "I still can't believe that your yami has fallen for Seto Kaiba." Ryou shook his head as he leaned it against Malik's shoulder. A breeze blew by, causing him to shiver slightly and he calmed when Malik's arm unconsciously held him tighter.  
  
"Neither can Kaiba." Malik pointed out, "But it figures. They both want to be the best at what they want.even though one wants to be the world's greatest duelist and the other wants to be pharaoh, but neither will get that title as long as Yugi and Yami are around." He shrugged.  
  
They were silent for a long while and they sat cuddled together comfortably, well, as comfortable as one could be on a tall building overlooking a busy street. Finally, Malik decided to break the silence and he looked at Ryou as he spoke, "Were you seriously considering jumping?"  
  
"Seriously?" Ryou muttered, still a little miserable. Malik wasn't a god after all, he couldn't fix /every/thing. "Yes." He whispered.  
  
The quiet, small, one word confession shook Malik to the core of his being and it scared him practically to death at the thought of Ryou - his Ryou - jumping off a building, or dying at all. "Well, you can't now." Malik shrugged, not caring that he was clutching the smaller boy to him.  
  
Ryou pet his leg gently, telling the Egyptian that it was all right, and the grip around him loosened slightly. "Why not?" He wondered, though at that moment anyone who wanted Ryou to part with the warm Egyptian would have to drag him away kicking and screaming. "Who's going to stop me?"  
  
"Me of course." Malik replied, "If you jump, I'll follow. It's as simple as that. I'm not going to let you fall Ryou, not now, and not ever."  
  
Ryou had nothing to say to that. Malik had been scarred horribly, had been sent to the Shadow Realm, isolated most of his life. . .what was one building? It didn't take that much to jump, just slide off, and Ryou knew that Malik was very loyal. He may have been the leader of the Rare Hunters, but when Malik found someone worthy enough, he became and stayed loyal.  
  
Ryou had been lucky enough to be deemed worthy and he knew that it wasn't just a promise, or a threat, it was fact: If he jumped, Malik would follow. And without hesitation. And the thought of Malik jumping off a building was enough to make Ryou's breath stop in panic and his heart to shudder within his chest. "Malik?" He whispered as the sky grew red, then turned to pink.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Can we go inside now?" He wondered.  
  
"Of course."  
  
". . .hold my hand?"  
  
There was a chuckle, "Sure thing."  
  
- - -  
  
The End  
  
- - -  
  
The quote is from Bill Cosby. 


End file.
